Re sliding top box,
It's just a box that fits over top of another box. The outer/upper box lifts up and off leaving an open box.
If I were doing it again, I'd make the base out of 1.6mm or 2mm ally, and the vertical walls out of 1mm.
Outer box is literally just a plain ordinary box that fits over the outside of the inner box - make it out of 1mm.
The outer drops onto the inner box all the way.
The seal for the box - the outer box has a strip of hard foam rubber on it's inside at the "lid" that matches against the upper edge of the inner box. got that?
Hard to explain, but very very simple in execution.
Make sure there is sufficient clearance between the two - ours is just adequate at about 4-5mm overall difference in outer dimension of the inner and inner dimension of the outer.
Don't make it any taller than you need it, better wider and lower. Just needs to be big enough for a helmet and jacket.
Latches- basic latches, loop fits over a hook, snap the lever down. When the box lid is up, padlocks through holes in the very corners. Improvement ideas welcome...
Detailed photos I don't have, but will be doing something in the next month or so. I have a bunch of work to do on the bike, and need photos (due to popular demand...
![](http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb/smile.gif)
) of some of it so will do the box and more details as well.
By the way, my system is NOT optimal - it was designed in a vacuum of ANYTHING for ideas to use in 1986, and has evolved only slightly since, in backward out of the way places such as a borrowed shop in Gibraltar. When I designed my boxes, I had never seen or heard of aluminum being used for boxes, in fact everyone suggested I use fiberglass. Fortunately I didn't like fiberglass - too much experience with it on boats!
Anodizing the boxes prevents the black aluminum marks from rubbing against gear, and hardens/strengthens the ally.
Ammo boxes are too heavy imho. You can get adequately strong and much lighter elsewhere. Make them if needed out of ally. Not complicated. See the photo of mine on our bike page. They took an afternoon to make, and work great.
Note that we are travelling two-up, with several cameras, 6 lenses including a big long one, 2 flashes, misc bits, 150 rolls of film and a big tripod, a laptop and cd-rom drive and more - so your load ought to be a lot less!
Hope that helps!
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Grant Johnson
Share the Dream!
at:
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com